A major restoration of the river that runs through the park has taken place
The park is perfect for a peaceful walk(Image: Google Street View)
The majority of London’s parks are looking rather worse for wear right now thanks to a summer of brutal heatwaves, but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth a visit. Now that the weather is beginning to cool down, there’s no better time to go for a walk to take in the fresh air.
One West London park well worth a visit is Crane Park in Twickenham. However, this park was once making headlines for all the wrong reasons – back in 2021 a photograph shared on Twitter of a park bench smothered in rubbish went viral, which led Richmond Council leader Gareth Roberts to call the sight “depressing”.
Locals condemned the state of the park, while the Friends of the River Crane Environment (FORCE) said that the bench was a persistent trouble spot and called for additional park patrols. Thankfully today, Crane Park tells a different story.
Volunteers have spent hundreds of hours cleaning up the River Crane in recent years(Image: Cranford Action Group)
A major restoration of the River Crane at nearby Mereway Nature Park, completed earlier in 2026, has breathed new life into the area. The river was removed from its concrete channel and natural banks were restored, leading to improved water flow, increased water storage capacity, and richer habitats for plants and wildlife.
The result is a lush, natural space that has quickly become a favourite destination for wildlife enthusiasts. Along the river crane, fortunate nature-spotters may see up to seven species of bats, water voles, kingfishers, adders and eels, tawny owls and even glow worms.
At the heart of Crane Park itself sits Crane Park Island, where visitors can find woodland, scrub, ditches, ponds and reedbeds on the site of the once notorious Hounslow Gunpowder Mills. Managed by the London Wildlife Trust since 1986, the reserve is now home to many important and rare species, making it one of the most ecologically significant green spaces in west London.
Walkers are greeted by the striking Shot Tower at the reserve’s entrance, a Grade II listed building formerly used for lead manufacture and now restored as a visitor centre. It is open to the public Tuesday to Sunday.
For families, the park offers a packed programme of activities including river dipping, pond dipping and minibeast hunting. A nature trail winds through the reserve, and the popular Thirst Off All mobile café is on hand from Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm, serving hot and cold drinks and snacks.
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